Robert Carradine – People Talking

Classic Horror Treble – ‘Pieces’ – ‘The Prowler’ – ‘Massacre at Central High’ – No Quick Cuts

So, I saw all three of these in a row at the final night of Camp Blood VI at The Mahoning Drive-In Theater. I was excited because I’d never seen any of them, and I was hoping to find a gem, which I kind of did, but, well, let’s just get into it.

Original Release Dates:
August 23, 1982 (Spain)
September 23, 1983 (US)

Directed by Juan Piquer Simón
Written by Dick Randall and Roberto Loyola
Cast: Christopher George, Lynda Day George, Frank Braña, Paul L. Smith, Edmund Purdom, Ian Sera, Jack Taylor, Isabelle Luque, Gérard Tichy
Soundtrack: CAM

In the words of Michael Bluth, “I don’t know what I expected.“

“PIECES: It’s exactly what you think it is!” reads the brilliant tagline, and, I suppose it is, but, I guess I was hoping for something…a little more?

To be fair, it’s not the worst slasher movie I’ve ever seen, but it is one of the dumbest. Others have argued that Pieces is some sort of self-reflexive horror comedy, but I absolutely refuse to give it that much credit (it’s certainly no Slumber Party Massacre, I tell you what). I think the stupidity is exactly what it is on its face; nothing deeper. If you want to argue “so-bad-it’s-good,” that’s a different discussion (I still disagree), but clever? No.

And, frankly, the “Tower of Babel” method of filming without sound and dubbing in voices later does this movie no favors either (there are other films I haven’t minded it on, but it sticks out like a sore thumb here).

Also, they really get no mileage out of their Boston setting. I mean, I realize the film was a Spanish production largely shot in Madrid, but why even bring Boston up? Just set it in “The Town” like Frisky Dingo.

The kills, to say one positive horror movie thing, are pretty well-executed (and grisly), and overall the movie is just weird and interesting enough for me to not totally throw it in the trash, but I don’t exactly recommend it either.

And that’s all I have to say about Pieces.

Rating: ★★½ (out of five)

Directed by Joseph Zito
Written by Glenn Leopold and Neal Barbera
Cast: Vicky Dawson, Christopher Goutman, Lawrence Tierney, Farley Granger, Cindy Weintraub, Lisa Dunsheath, David Sederholm, Bill Nunnery, Thom Bray, Diane Rode, Bryan Englund
Soundtrack: Richard Einhorn

I never really thought about it before, but a major trope of slasher movies is a prologue in the past. Friday the 13th, Halloween, even Pieces, they all begin their stories years earlier, as does The Prowler, but what separates it from the others is just how much it leans into the period.

Frankly, I was a little disappointed The Prowler didn’t take place entirely in the 1940s, because the introduction is arguably the strongest part, at least visually.

However, it doesn’t entirely shoot its wad up front. The titular prowler is a striking antagonist, and the movie provides a lot of legitimate tension (in addition to some brutal kills courtesy of Tom Savini). The problem overall is that it’s more than a bit sleepy, and I found the conclusion pretty unsatisfying (honestly, this sentence could double as my review of Friday the 13th: The Final Chapter, also directed by Joseph Zito).

Still, I like Vicky Dawson and Christopher Goutman as the leads (seems a shame that they didn’t have more prolific acting careers), and (especially compared to Pieces) the film makes good use of its location (Cape May, NJ apparently doubling for Avalon, CA).

It’s just not particularly special.

Rating: ★★★☆☆

Original Release Date: November 10, 1976

Written and Directed by Rene Daalder
Cast: Derrel Maury, Andrew Stevens, Robert Carradine, Kimberly Beck, Ray Underwood, Steve Bond, Damon Douglas, Rex Steven Sikes, Lani O’Grady, Dennis Kort, Cheryl Smith, Jeffrey Winner, Tom Logan
Soundtrack: Tommy Leonetti

Man, so this was… “surprise hit” would an overstatement, but it was undoubtedly the most interesting film of the night.

In contrast to, say, Rock ‘n’ Roll High School, where the “teenagers” are at odds with their adult overlords, Massacre at Central High doesn’t even show a non-student until the very end of the movie. It’s a bit of a heightened reality, but not totally detached either. I’d say it’s like if American Graffiti and The Mechanic had a baby (no surprise that Massacre at Central High was an influence on Heathers).

The movie certainly features some creative kills, but to me the primary strength of the film is Derrel Maury as David. The role itself is reasonably well-written, but he does plenty of work himself to offer a compelling performance, and he and Kimberly Beck (future star of Friday the 13th: The Final Chapter…is there an echo in here?) have good chemistry. I wish I could say the same for Andrew Stevens as the other lead; it’s just not his finest hour. Thankfully there are some other highlights in the supporting cast (including Robert Carradine).

As I said, it’s not great, but it’s unique enough to see once.

Rating: ★★★☆☆

So, yeah, it wasn’t the greatest night of horror in my life, but at least it was all new to me, and at least I was among friends. That’s the real win.

New & Old Twofer – ‘Hal’ and ‘Coming Home’

Hal

Directed by Amy Scott
Interviewees: Allison Anders, Judd Apatow, Rosanna Arquette, Beau Bridges, Jeff Bridges, Lisa Cholodenko, Caleb Deschanel, Pablo Ferro, Jane Fonda, Louis Gossett Jr., Lee Grant, Grif Griffis, Norman Jewison, Robert C. Jones, Adam McKay, Charles Mulvehill, Alexander Payne, David O. Russell, Cat Stevens, Robert Towne, Jon Voight, Haskell Wexler, Jeff Wexler, and Ben Foster as the voice of Hal Ashby
Soundtrack: Heather McIntosh

Most people know the influential American directors of the Seventies: Spielberg, Coppola, Lumet, Lucas, Friedkin, Altman, Kubrick, Scorsese, even Brian De Palma is finally getting some due, but Hal Ashby tends to get overlooked; and, to be sure, his films don’t necessarily have the same level of name recognition as the others, but, make no mistake, the filmmakers of today know his work.

I wasn’t a total newbie to Ashby, the old dope-smoking, music-loving beatnik-turned-master auteur, before seeing this documentary. I’d seen a couple of his directorial efforts (The Last Detail and Being There) in my lifetime; and I’d seen a couple of his editorial collaborations with Norman Jewison (The Russians Are Coming! The Russians Are Coming! and In The Heat of the Night, which he won the Best Editing Oscar for), but it’s fair to say I was relatively unfamiliar with the man himself.

He was born to humble means in Ogden, Utah (though never a Mormon), made his way to Hollywood, and worked on films for William Wyler and George Stevens (among others) before meeting Norman Jewison, who essentially gave him a promotion to editor in the late-Sixties before finally striking out on his own as a full-fledged director.

As a documentary, I found Hal entertaining, it’s definitely much more slickly made than others in the genre, but at the same time I was expecting more content. To put it another way, I’m not sure it goes much deeper than its trailer (which is also basically the introduction to the film). It’s still a fun ride, and certainly a good primer for the uninitiated, and I don’t want to downplay the labor of love aspect, but, I struggle to give it a theatrical recommendation.

Rating: ★★★½ (out of five)

Coming Home

Original Release Date: February 15, 1978
Directed by Hal Ashby
Written by Waldo Salt and Robert C. Jones (screenplay), Nancy Dowd (story)
Cast: Jane Fonda, Jon Voight, Bruce Dern, Penelope Milford, Robert Carradine, Robert Ginty, Mary Gregory, Kathleen Miller, Beeson Carroll, Willie Tyler, Lou Carello, Charles Cyphers, Olivia Cole, Tresa Hughes, Bruce French, Jonathan Banks, Marc McClure

I know Coming Home got a whole bunch of awards season love at the time, and it’s a fine film, and I’m not even mad about its politics (after all, I love All Quiet on the Western Front), but, forty years on, it seems clear that much of the love was politically motivated (it’s not even the best Hal Ashby movie I’ve seen), which is nothing new, it still happens, and that’s all I’ll say about that.

It’s a heavy film, to be sure, and (something I feel like I’ve been saying a lot lately) on the whole it might be more interesting than good, but it’s worth a watch if only for the strong performances (especially Jon Voight) and unconventional use of music. We’ve become accustomed to “needle-drop” movies that use portions of songs, usually cutting in time to the music, but Coming Home utilizes licensed songs more like John Carpenter uses his score, like “wallpaper”. I honestly can’t think of another movie that does this and it made for quite the unique experience.

Still, there’s something missing that I can’t quite put my finger on. Perhaps it’s because the story and characterization are over-simplistic in places, and, personally, I wish the movie established itself more as the period piece it is, but, ultimately, it does get its message across, and there’s something to be said for that.

Rating: ★★★½ (out of five)

Classic Movie Quinella – ‘RussellMania’: The Kurt Russell Marathon – Land of the Free

Another Super Bowl Saturday, another actor marathon at Alamo Drafthouse Yonkers: Caged, Stallone Zone, Van Dammage, Burt Day, ‘HEY, ARNOLD!‘, and now, RussellMania 2018.

I had sky high hopes for this one, but for the first time in attending these events, I actually left fairly disappointed. Don’t get me wrong, I love Kurt Russell, I love my new hat, and I got to see four movies I had never seen before (which I do place a certain value on), but overall it just wasn’t quite the same enjoyable ride I’ve become accustomed to over the past five years.

The man himself needs no introduction though, so let’s get into these movies.

Movie #1: Tango & Cash (1989)

Right off the bat, I was wrong.

Seeing as how this film lead off Stallone Zone (click the link to read the Tango & Cash review), I figured there was no way we’d see it again here, but, as I said, I was wrong.

I will say, it was interesting watching it again as a Kurt Russell movie rather than a Stallone movie, but I don’t really have anything more to say now than I did in 2014.

Rating: ★★★★☆

Movie #2: Breakdown (1997)

I remember my cousin putting this on once at my aunt and uncle’s house, probably around the time it first hit DVD (which was technology beyond my imagination at the time), only I don’t think I watched past the first half hour or so, so I never realized until seeing it on the big screen that Breakdown turns into an action movie by the end (spoilers?).

Before that though, the movie feels extremely Hitchcockian, so much so that you could believe it’s a remake of something Hitch actually made (though to my knowledge it is not and I’ll happily give full credit to writer/director Jonathan Mostow). The story’s simple enough (I’d actually make a gentle comparison to The Belko Experiment, just in terms of imagining yourself in the same situation), and it doesn’t fall into the trap of becoming too twisty, which I appreciated.

Ultimately, it comes down to personal taste as to whether or not the third act works for you. I’m okay with it, but I understand others feeling somewhat betrayed by it.

Either way though, I’d still say it’s solid.

Rating: ★★★½

Movie #3: Used Cars (1980)

Before Bob Zemeckis and Bob Gale made one of the greatest movies of all time (review here), they had a string of less successful endeavors (I Wanna Hold Your Hand, 1941), culminating with 1980’s Used Cars (although they did write one of my favorite episodes of Kolchak: The Night Stalker).

Used Cars isn’t great, and its definitely a touch bloated, but it’s not without its charms. For one thing, it’s Kurt’s first R-rated performance, which is interesting to see at odds with his still-lingering Disney good guy persona, and it’s got Jack Warden doing some classic one-actor-playing-twin-brothers schtick, and a good amount of the satirical humor still holds up today.

It also hearkens back to a time when comedy wasn’t strictly a bargain basement genre and studios weren’t afraid to throw in a little more production value when necessary, even for an non-family friendly comedy.

Not everybody will fully enjoy Used Cars because it’s such a product of its time, but for me, that’s why I found it interesting and why I’d give it another watch someday.

Rating: ★★★½

Movie #4: Executive Decision (1996)

Speaking of the kinds of movies that don’t get made anymore, let’s talk Executive Decision (which is one I was hoping for, for better or worse).

Stuff like this just has a certain je ne sais quoi that feels missing from Hollywood of the present (the fact that it was made pre-9/11 definitely has something to do with that). It’s not like we have a dearth of action movies these days, but Executive Decision takes itself seriously in both story and tone where a movie today would have a wink and a nod (it’s no surprise that the last similar example I can think of, Behind Enemy Lines, was also a story by Jim and John Thomas).

I think it’s fair to say that Kurt plays against type here, at least relative to the “action man” roles he was known for at the time, but, even in a lame tuxedo and nerdy spectacles, he’s still cooler than we could ever dream of being.

“All-star cast” may be a stretch (it’s no Airport ’77), but, at the time, Executive Decision certainly had a mix of experienced pros and hot up-and-comers (most notably Halle Berry). Given that it’s a 90s action movie, I’ll say everyone does a fine job.

That said, let’s call it what it is, “Die Hard on a plane.”

Still worth a watch though, just get comfortable.

Rating: ★★★½

Movie #5: Escape from L.A. (1996)

This is not how I wanted the day to end.

I don’t want to merely compare this movie to Escape from New York, but I don’t think it leaves you with much of a choice.

Honestly, Escape from L.A. is depressingly bad in comparison to its predecessor. New York was a low-budget underdog that managed to find an audience and punch a bit above its weight class. It stands on its reputation more so than its actual quality, but at the same time it was a fairly progressive movie in terms of film-making, what with the use of the Panaglide (an early “cousin” of the Steadicam) and new techniques that allowed Dean Cundey to shoot many city blocks deep using only streetlamps for lighting; not to mention how the film allowed Kurt Russell to truly pivot away from his Disney comedy roots.

On the other hand, L.A. is essentially The Asylum version of New York, with a copy-and-paste script, horrendous CGI effects, and terribly cheesy performances. In fact, the only element you can point to as being better than the original is the fact that they shot a scene at the real L.A. Coliseum, but the movie is still so terrible that it doesn’t even matter.

Escape from L.A. is awful, it was rightfully a box office bomb, and if you truly love Escape from New York, you should never ever watch it.

Rating: ★☆☆☆☆

So, there you have it. Not the best day, but definitely not all bad. Just kind of middling, and therefore not what I expected given Kurt’s body of work.

I guess they can’t all be winners.

This hat though, this hat is a winner.